Dry Eye Therapy

Get Lasting Relief from Your Dry Eyes

Our eyes require tears for optimal comfort, health, and function. When we experience problems with our tears, it can lead to dry eyes.

The Causes of Dry Eye

Unfortunately, both the imbalance of tear film and lack of tear production can have many different root causes. Dry eye is on the rise in Canada. Dry eyes can be caused by:

• Diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and rheumatoid arthritis
• Ageing
• Blepharitis
• Demodex mites
• Increased screen time
• Certain medications
• UV exposure or smoky environments
• Changing hormones
• Allergies
• Smoking
• Incorrect contact lenses
• Laser Eye Surgery

In-Office Techniques & Technologies

Because dry eye is a common concern for many Canadians, we aim to offer modern, tech-driven strategies.

While managing dry eye with medicated eye drops and lid cleansings is possible, you may need a more in-depth approach depending on your symptoms. By adopting intense pulsed-light and low-level light therapy, we can help address dry eye concerns, including:

• Meibomian gland dysfunction
• Chalazion
• Rosacea
• Blepharitis
• Styes

We can recommend a treatment that is ideal for you when you visit us for an appointment.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy is a common technique used to help address dry eye. During this treatment, our IPL device emits intense flashes of light to gently warm your eyelids, which can help loosen blockages in your meibomian glands, causing dry eye.

IPL therapy reduces inflammation by targeting telangiectatic blood vessels (the abnormal red blood vessels people can have on their skin—these produce inflammatory mediators that cause dry eye). IPL therapy also increases collagen synthesis, which helps tighten skin and reduce wrinkles.

In some cases, you may even notice results after 1 IPL session. However, we might recommend multiple sessions to help maintain your eye comfort.

Light Modulation LLLT

Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is a comprehensive approach to addressing a range of issues associated with dry eye and helps promote cellular function.

This technology rests on top of your face like a mask. During your treatment, the device will emit different colours of light to help address different symptoms.

• The red mask helps reduce inflammation for hordeolum, styes, and chalazion. Three treatments of 15 minutes are required 1 week apart.
• The blue mask works to eliminate bacteria (Demodex, blepharitis). Three treatments of IPL therapy are followed by 15 minutes of blue mask treatment. Your treatment schedule will be day 1, 4 days later, then treatment at 3 weeks. 
• The yellow mask helps reduce swelling and promote drainage (bags under the eyes).

Cheaper LLLT alternatives aren’t as effective as they don’t penetrate the tissue deep enough for results. 

Some LLLT sessions take only 15 minutes to complete. You may experience results after 1 appointment, but we might recommend multiple sessions to help maintain your eye comfort.

Managing Dry Eyes

While there is yet to be a cure or treatment for dry eye, there are some things we can recommend to alleviate and manage the symptoms.